Housing & Meals

The Office of Study Abroad liases directly with on-campus housing to ensure that all Holy Cross students are placed in University Housing. Students must keep a close eye on their emails in the weeks and months leading up to their departure for University of Galway, as this will be our office's way of reaching out to you with updates about housing, flight dates, and more. 

Keep in mind, there are no "bad" dorms at University of Galway! All housing is apartment-style, and no matter what, students have their own private bedroom. Students will also always have access to a kitchen and common area in their apartment. 

Due to European privacy laws, you will not recieve a list of your flatmates in advance of arrival. Be prepared to meet your flatmates once you arrive in Galway. 

You might not be housed with fellow Holy Cross students. The purpose of studying abroad is to meet new people and to immerse yourself into a new culture and experience. Part of this experience is meeting new people in your student apartment. Be prepared to live with either Irish students, other international students, or a combination of the two! 

Due to European privacy laws, you will not recieve a list of your flatmates in advance of arrival. Be prepared to meet your flatmates once you arrive in Galway. 

Items Supplied in Apartment: 

• Fridge freezer

• Oven, Hob, & Extractor fan

• Microwave

• Kettle

• Toaster

• Saucepans

• Crockery

• Cutlery

• Dining table or breakfast bar, and chairs

• Lounge furniture

• Television

• Vacuum cleaner

Items Supplied in Bedroom:

• • Bed

  • Study desk and chair

  • Shelves

  • Wardrobe

  • Desk lamp

  • Mattress protector

  • Duvet

  • Pillow

Your apartment/bedroom will not be furnished with the following:

• Toilet Paper

• Cleaning Supplies

• Bed Linens 

• Towels/rugs

• Soap

• Personal items 

• Washer/Dryer (these are available in the building, but not in your individual apartment and are pay-as-you-go)

• Snacks/food

We recommend Penney's for bedding and household items. Dunnes, Lidl, and Tesco are great places to grab soap, cleaning supplies, and most importantly, food!

A laundry room is available for use in each dorm building. Laundry is pay-as-you-go. Make sure you have a credit or debit card that is chip enabled so that can 'tap' you card to pay for laundry! 

All Galway dorms are self catered, meaning you can shop for your own food and cook it at home. University of Galway does not offer an American-style meal plan, however there are plenty of options for food on campus from cafeterias to restaurants, cafes, and snack bars. Click here for a full list of options.

All dorms at University of Galway are self-catered. This means that you will not have a meal plan, but rather you will purchase your own food. Whether you choose to buy groceries and cook for yourself or purchase food on campus, you'll need to budget for meals! 

Again, there is no meal plan for purchase at UG. Instead, you can pay-as-you-go for cafes and restaurants on campus, or purchase food from the grocery store. You will not be charged Holy Cross board (ie meal plan) on your tuition bill, which is approx $4,000 per semester. You should instead plan to use some or all of this budget sourcing your own food during your semester or year away. 

How much you spend on food depends on your personal habits. Before you go, do some googling! Figure out the average prices for your favorite foods and make a plan! 

Yes, UG has a gym- with a pool! Click here to read all about it!